Saturday, 9 August 2014

Article: Bring Back Ikedi Ohakim (Part One)

Ikedi Ohakim

By Kenneth Uwadi

Right from my
days in the University of Port Harcourt I fought for the masses and the
oppressed. I do this through article writing, placard caring protest, blogging,
hiring of legal service, campaigns and struggles against the
anti-poor policies of the ruling class, as well as fighting for the
day-to-day improvement in the living conditions of the masses. When
Barrister Emperor Iwuoha was victimized by Justice Njemanze for
writing an article against him , I came to his support. I have never met
Iwuala till date but I stood by him. When Henry Ekpe was beaten up by
Governor Okorocha’s thugs and was daily victimized by Owelle’s government, I
stood by him. I have also never met Ekpe before.

I have
stood by countless persons that were victimized in Nigeria .I am also
standing by Citizen Samuelson Iwuoha as he is currently being victimized by
Governor Okorocha’s government. I have only met Samuelson twice in my life.
Samuelson’s case is purely political and one day Imo people will believe me. You can deceive all
the people some of the times, but definitely not all the time.

Also when
politicians were spreading all the lies against Dr Ikedi Ohakim
in 2010 i was one of those that shouted that this man
did not do the evil they said he did. I did my investigations and saw the lies
and i shouted that this man was misunderstood, misconstrued
and deliberately misrepresented in some quarters . I saw the massive
conspiracy to denigrate his person and defame his administration .
I spoke against some of the ‘moonlight tales’ spread about
him. People called me all sort of names for speaking in favor of
him . Some said I was working for him.

Three things
cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. The Catholic Priest
and Spiritual Director, Adoration Ministry Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), Rev. Fr. Ejike
Mbaka recently exposed the hidden truth about the ‘Ohakim flogged
Reverend Father’ saga. He told the world that Ohakim didn’t beat any priest.
That It was an orchestrated falsehood and blackmail which unfortunately were
aimed at scuttling his re-election bid. That when he wanted to reach the
governor so as to get his own version, those who worked with him made it
impossible. He waited patiently for him but he never showed up. It was
then he composed his music ‘Onye ahu kuru father Ihe, ogaghi
achi anyi ozo’ meaning the person who beat our priest will not rule us again’,
which made Catholics in the state to deny Ohakim their votes.He said that
the Rev Father later told him the truth and that it is good to tell the
truth even if it was coming late. That the world should know
that he (Ohakim) never did anything like that.

Father Mbaka
also descended heavily on the Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha,
for allegedly issuing 50 million naira ‘dud’ cheque to Owerri Catholic
Archdiocese in 2012 even after Catholics voted massively for him in
the 2011 governorship election. He described the rescue mission of Governor Okorocha
as a disappointment to God and humanity, having betrayed the confidence and
trust reposed in him by the Imo State electorate.

In his words,
Mbaka said, “I see Imo today, I cry. To all politicians, please ozo emekwala
oh! How can somebody give an anointed Archbishop a fifty million naira fake
cheque for completion of Church building? Rochas took advantage of
confusion in the land to ride to power. Ndi Imo, ozo emekwala oh!”.Mbaka
did not stop there but invited the former Governor with his wife to the
alter and prayed for them, and said, “Nnayi Ohakim, power will come to you free
of charge. I’m seeing God coming to use you to bless Imo. You have a bright
future, and I’m seeing it. Don’t forget our people. Everything that happened in
the past all happened for good.”

“After the
blackmail and falsehood that Ohakim assaulted a Catholic priest, the man who
benefitted from the whole thing is now dealing with the people as well as
destroying the state. Even our Archbishop in Owerri is now crying. Could you
imagine that our cathedral in Owerri is almost collapsing and what this man
(Rochas) could do was to give the church a 50 million naira bounced
cheque? As I am speaking now, Rochas is dealing with the people. In fact, that
man is not a blessing to Ndi Imo and I wonder the kingdom where he came from,”
Mbaka said.

In a
bizarre attempt to defend the governor of Imo State over the
N50million dud cheque, Samuel Onwuemedo (SA Media to Governor Okorocha)
called the popular televangelist Catholic preacher a liar. He said that
the allegation was not only false, but spurious and curious in many respects,
as there is no iota of truth in it and that Mbaka should do a follow up to his
claim by providing the proof.

We only saw
this kind of blind and uncultured defense of a politician as
displayed by Onwuemeodo when General Ibrahim Babangida now retired
annulled the June 12, 1993 election and Uche Chukwumerije was defending it
tooth and nail that Babangida was right to have annulled the freest election
ever held. Nigerians witnessed this kind of blind defense briefly too by late
Wada Nas in his defense of General Sani Abacha. It is true that Sam
Onwuemeodo must justify his pay, since 'he who pays the piper dictates
the tone but even if people must defend Nigerian politicians, let their
conscience guide them. Sam’s calling of Mbaka a liar is part of the Okorocha
government usual way of ‘opening of mouth before you think’’ and an
insult to the entire Catholic community of which I am part of.

Onwuemeodo
should know that in Nigeria today, there are many revered men of God who
are as powerful as they are influential. In this league are some powerful
Catholic Reverend Fathers such as Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ede, Rev Father Mbaka, Rev.
Fr. Dominic Nwobodo, Fr. Basil Gbuzue, Fr. Paschal Tochukwu Ekediegwu and Rev
Father Paul Martin Obayi Okonerere whose integrity are still very
much intact, in spite of all the rot and sacrileges in Christendom these
days. These Reverend Fathers are holy and still keep to their calling,
leaving no room whatsoever for compromise or deviation from all Catholics norms
and doctrines. Most of them own prayer ministries, and even schools.
They are renowned for accurate predictions, healings and life-changing
counseling, coupled with parishes that each one of them coordinates.

Rev Father
Mbaka is a very popular firebrand preacher of the gospel. Signs and
Wonders usually follow his powerful ministrations. Mbaka’s weekly
all-night adoration crusade at Emene, Enugu, has continued to be a big
crowd-pulling programme as many Catholic faithful always throng the round to
attend the programme. Many of his ministrations and preaching’s are
against corrupt government. His miracles have, in no small way, helped in
letting many young parishioners stay put in Catholic, because all they would
have got in Pentecostal, miracle-happening churches, he makes happen in
Catholic Church. We the Catholics believe in him so much. He has said
that Okorocha issued a dud cheque, we believe it for we know who Mbaka is. Charley
Boy even said that Okorocha did the same thing to him with a 20 million naira
dud cheque during his father’s burial.

The 2015
governorship election is around the corner. Imo State is abuzz these days with
political activities and discussions over who will win the Imo
governorship election. The state is divided into several political camps, each
rallying supporters for their preferred candidate. I have been watching,
listening and studying the Imo government house contenders and I
have made my cool assessment, unencumbered and come up with the conclusion
that if Chief Ikedi Ohakim gets his party ticket for the 2015
governorship election in Imo State, I will support him to continue his
good works in Imo State.He is calm, calculative, meticulous and altruistic.
Even in the face of scores of smear campaign against him when he was
governor he was neither deterred nor derailed from pursuing the vision of
A New Face Of Imo.

Ohakim
demonstrated unparallel zeal and commitment in the development of Imo
State when he was Governor. He has demonstrated that he is courageous, sober,
competent, and concerned with the welfare of Imo State. He is also a
compassionate Christian. Though solid in his faith and standing for traditional
family values, he’s not an uncaring extremist. He lives what he believes and
respects others’ beliefs even when they disagree with him. As one of those who
have been fighting for the sacked 10,000 workers to get their jobs back, I
support the bring back Ikedi Ohakim project.